Location: Planet Noxar (Fleurdelys System)Sector II - Deep Space Management HQThe supervisor of Deep Space Management is working in his office when the intercom is activated.Office secretary: ''Sir. Captain Blaze has arrived.''Supervisor: ''Let her in please...

Nadia Blaze: ''You wanted to see me?''Supervisor: ''You know I always want to see you my dear Nadia.''

Nadia smiles and the supervisor continues.Supervisor: ''We have located a group of pirates in orbit around planet Mirage.''Nadia Blaze: ''Pirates? On Mirage? What are they doing on that desert?''Supervisor: ''We have been informed that there would be another artifact on the planet. The source of this information is not considered very reliable but we cannot risk that this artifact, if it exists, falls into the hands of the pirates. Because you did so well at the president's speech some time ago, you have been selected to get there, deal with the pirates and investigate.”Nadia Blaze: ''That will be done sir.''

Nadia goes back to the Galaxy.Nadia Blaze: ''Get everyone on board and prep the ship. We are leaving in thirty minutes.''Worker: ''Yes ma'am!''

Later.Science advisor:''I do not scan ships around Mirage but I am picking up a large quantity of debris floating in the higher orbit of the planet. It looks like the remains of a fleet.''Officer: ''Taken down by pirates?''Science advisor: ''I don't think so. I think this was the pirate fleet.”Nadia Blaze: ''Good! We may not have to deal with pirates after all.''Officer: ''I'd rather deal with pirates than with reptiles..''Science advisor: ''Captain! I found an active beacon on the surface.''Nadia Blaze: ''That will be a good place to start. Find a nearby landing site.''

The Galaxy lands. There are scorpions and some reptiles (size 2) in the area.Objective: Secure the landing zone.

Troops deployment. There is also two guards on the top of the Galaxy.

TURN 1The reptile advances and the troopers combine fire on one of them. -1hpA heavy trooper engages an enemy in close combat but the reptile counterattack and kills her.

The gunner of the Galaxy misses and the guards are slowly moving into position.

TURN 2Despite their armored status, the heavy infantry really didn't last long against the claws of the reptiles..

Th officer disengage from close combat and open fire with his men.The whole group concentrate their firepower and takes one hit point from a reptile.

TURN 3Scorpions move 3 more inches and two of them are killed by the guards.

The remaining reptiles gang up on the officer but he manages to survive.The troopers roll catastrophic damage.

TURN 4The officer is ripped apart by the reptiles!

Only one reptile to go.

One more scorpion down.

TURN 5The scorpions are looking for a way to enter the Galaxy.

Reinforcements have arrived for the defenders!

The last reptile attacks but the trooper survives the damage.

The trooper disengage from close combat and the last reptile is killed by combined fire.

The gunner takes down one flyer.

One more scorpion is killed. Only one remain.

TURN 6The flyers are going for the guards and the last scorpion is killed as it reaches the roof.The scorpions were so useless that I decided to give an instant Benny to the reptilians (usable in the next turn).

The troopers spread and try to get into a better position to attack the flyers.

The medic gets to work.A roll of 6 instantly revives the unit.

TURN 7Using the instant benny, a flyer impale a guard.

Bullets were wasted after a failed attack from a flyer.The medic rolls a 5 and revives another heavy trooper.

TURN 8A flyer grabs a trooper and flies with him off the battlefield!

Leaving its previous kill, the remaining flyer jumps on the guard. No damage.

A well placed hit from the heavy trooper kills the last enemy on the landing site.

PART 2The officer was too injured and had to be brought to the medical bay.- Do you think we will save him?- It's too soon to tell.

- Galaxy log:''There is one unit missing and my officer is in critical condition in the medical bay but the landing zone is now secure.We scanned a crash site close to our position. I have sent a detachment to see if they can find anything useful there..

..I will be leading the main group to the location of the beacon which, curiously, stopped emitting half an hour ago.''- End of entry.

TURN 5Medic heads back to the frontline and the revived trooper grabs the grenade launcher.

Failed attack from the infected..

.. attack.. parry..attack..

..hit!

Headshot!

Aliens take a defensive formation.Nadia aims for the group and jump off her mount.. (feat)

..grabs the spear..

..perfect landing.

A successful response feat stops the charge.

TURN 6A carrier kills a heavy trooper.

And a heavy trooper evens the score by killing the carrier.

Nadia gives the spear to the heavy trooper.

TURN 7Close combat engagement led to the death of two aliens.

One soldier is changed into a moving target, increasing any attack made against him by 1.

Carriers throw more grenades and one alien is killed

Two grenades detonate near deep space management units but they survive.

TURN 8The alien hero use a feat to add 1d6 damage to his attack but unfortunately the attack fail and he is killed.A neurotoxin grenade explode near Nadia but the medic redshirts and prevent her from being infected.

Nadia Blaze: “I'm sorry..”

Nadia decapitate the infected medic.

The alien necromancer revives one carrier.

The moving target launches a rocket.

Critical damage! The explosion kills three enemy.

Troopers kill a carrier.

TURN 9One more kill on each side.Nadia throw her saber at an enemy.

With only two units remaining, the alien are defeated.Remaining units flee the battlefield.DEEP SPACE MANAGEMENT IS VICTORIOUS!

She finds a note:“Nice to see you Nadia” -SydNadia Blaze: “What mockery is this?”

A group enters the area.Major Natalya: “I am impressed. I must admit at some point I thought you wouldn't make it.”

Nadia Blaze: “The Assyrians!”The men rise their guns.

Major Natalya: “Oh please..”Spare your men. We are not here to fight you.. this time. I just want to talk.

Nadia Blaze: “You're the ones who destroyed the pirate fleet and took the artifact!”Major Natalya: “Wish I had but sadly, no.”Nadia Blaze: “Then what do you want?”Major Natalya: “I want every information you have on Syd Niav and, of course, I still want the first artifact.”Nadia Blaze: “The artifact is not on the Galaxy.”Major Natalya: “I know but your archive is and I also know that Niav was once part of the galaxy crew.”Nadia Blaze: “You're wasting your time. Niav is dead.”Major Natalya: “Oh I'm not so sure.”

Major Natalya: “This picture was taken from orbit a few moments before the portal on the altar was activated for the first time.”Nadia Blaze: “...”Major Natalya: “He's the one who took the artifact. We were tracking him but we lost the trail when the Galaxy arrived. Now let's go. My patience has limits.”

Inside the Galaxy, the science officer was waiting for Nadia.Science officer: “Captain. The squad returned from the crash site with a survivor. He claims they were attacked by the Black Bird.”Nadia Blaze: “That's impossible.”Major Natalya: “And why is that impossible?”Nadia Blaze: “Because the Black Bird is a ship that does not exists.”

This is one of the best battles I've ever seen here. The terrain was imaginative and had a lot of character. The use of gore effects was clever and often had very smooth, intuitive placement. The running battle concept with the tactical objectives was interesting and really added a lot to the narrative. I loved the diversity of the enemies. And the fact that, despite their diversity, they still formed cohesive groups. That ship is the boss. And all your interiors were brilliant, just brilliant. The supervisor's office was particularly well designed. There were also subtle parts of the narrative that I really enjoyed. Moments like "Do you think we will save him?""It's too soon to tell." and the part where the medic redshirts and Nadia apologizes as she's cutting his head off.

Even if it is too late, this one should totally be accepted because it's one hell of a report.